Assistant Research Scientist

What you'd do

• Conducts independent research on the collective dynamics of microbial interactions in multi-species biofilms of built (food-processing) environments, with defined ownership of the laboratory’s meta-omics and biofilm-ecology.
• Designs and executes shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies of floor-drain and processing-surface biofilms from beef- and pork-processing plants; generates genome-resolved profiles of community composition, active functional pathways, antimicrobial resistance genes, secondary-metabolite potential, and phage–host interactions.
• Constructs and applies genome-scale metabolic models (KBase, ModelSEED, flux balance analysis, SMETANA) to predict metabolite exchange and cross-feeding among biofilm community members.
• Designs, builds, and tests synthetic microbial communities under meat-processing-relevant conditions, including stainless-steel coupon assays, psychrotrophic growth studies, BioFlux microfluidic biofilm assays, and sanitizer challenge and recovery experiments to evaluate pathogen integration (e.g., E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica) and community-mediated protection.
• Performs nucleic-acid extraction (DNA, total RNA, metatranscriptomic RNA), library preparation coordination, qRT-PCR validation, and fluorescence microscopy imaging and quantitative analysis for biofilm experiments.
• Develops, documents, and maintains reproducible Linux/R/Bash workflows on high-performance computing resources for read quality control, assembly, binning, gene prediction, annotation, differential expression, and statistical analysis; produces publication-quality visualizations.
• Curates and manages laboratory sequencing datasets, metadata, and analysis code in accordance with the laboratory data-management policy so that results remain reproducible and accessible to the research team.
• Analyzes research data, summarizes results, and prepares manuscripts as lead or contributing author for peer-reviewed journals; contributes to research articles and publications from collaborating projects.
• Assists with grant acquisition by drafting preliminary-data sections, methods, figures, and budget justifications for federal, foundation, and industry proposals.
• Coordinates collaborative projects with USDA-ARS scientists and other external partners, including sample logistics, data sharing, and joint analyses.

What they want

• Ability to work in a BSL-2 laboratory environment and handle foodborne pathogens following institutional bi…

About Texas A&M University System

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members: As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research,…